According to various embodiments, a tunable optical device comprises a tunable optical metasurface on a substrate with an integrated driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a photon shield layer to prevent optical radiation from disrupting operation of the driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a diagnostic circuit to detect and disable defective optical structures of the metasurface. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated heater circuit that maintains a liquid crystal of the metasurface above a minimum operating temperature. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated lidar sequencing controller, a steering pattern subcircuit, and a photodetector circuit.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the active switch-matrix driver circuit comprises D driver channels to drive N optical structures, with each driver channel switchable between K metal optical structures, such that N=K*D, where each of D, K, and N are integer values.
3. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical structures comprise metal optical structures.
4. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical structures comprise dielectric optical structures.
5. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical structures of the metasurface comprises a one-dimensional array of elongated rails arranged parallel to one another with respect to an underlying optical reflector.
6. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optical structures of the metasurface comprises a two-dimensional array of pillars that extends from an underlying optical reflector.
9. The tunable optical device of claim 8, wherein the photon shield layer comprises one or more of: a metal layer, an amorphous carbon layer, an organically-modified glass layer, a polymer layer, and a graphite layer.
10. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the active switch-matrix driver circuit comprises a steering pattern subcircuit to store voltage patterns corresponding to defined deflection patterns.
11. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the active switch-matrix driver circuit comprises a lidar sequencing controller integrated within the substrate to sequentially drive the tunable optical metasurface according to a sequence of defined deflection patterns for targeted lidar operation.
12. The tunable optical device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material with the tunable refractive index comprises one or more of: liquid crystal, an electro-optic polymer, a chalcogenide glass, and a semiconductor material.
15. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein the active switch-matrix driver circuit comprises D driver channels to drive the N optical structures, with each driver channel switchable between a subset K of the T tiles, such that N=K*D, where D and K are integer values.
16. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein the optical structures comprise metal optical structures.
17. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein the optical structures comprise dielectric optical structures.
18. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein each tile of optical structures comprises a one-dimensional array of elongated rails arranged parallel to one another with respect to an underlying optical reflector.
19. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein each tile of optical structures comprises a two-dimensional array of pillars that extends from an underlying optical reflector.
20. The tunable optical device of claim 19, wherein the pillars comprise one of: rectangular pillars, circular pillars, square pillars, and oval pillars.
21. The tunable optical device of claim 14, wherein the dielectric material with the tunable refractive index comprises one or more of: liquid crystal, an electro-optic polymer, a chalcogenide glass, and a semiconductor material.
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October 31, 2022
May 7, 2024
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